I think that the difference between successful, positive mirroring and the negative or manipulative approach is authenticity. Authentic rapport creates the natural mirroring that you see between individuals who have a positive, well-developed and balanced relationship. Inauthentic rapport can work in the short term with some individuals, but certainly not for all of the people, all of the time.

In terms of using mirroring as a technique, I believe that the route to success is to only use it in an authentic fashion – meaning that it is used not to control the other party, but to genuinely try and develop a balanced relationship rather then a power one. This might mean that you are as content to be led as to lead, entering the dialogue in a truly empathetic way, rather than with the intent of getting your “subject” to where YOU want them to be.